Covering Up a Mistake is a Bigger Mistake

Let’s embrace mistakes with sincerity and honesty — a better strategy

Photo credit: Ketut Subiyanto from Pexels

Have you ever made a mistake? Had a slip of the tongue and called the wrong names or said the wrong things? Carried away and made an inappropriate speech on social media or in public?

Perhaps you were confused or simply not at your best place when you made the mistake. Even if it was a minor mistake, you feel embarrassed. Frustrated. Panic.

What do you do when this happens?

There are a few courses of action you can take when that happened:

1. You can pretend nothing had happened and wish it to fade away
2. You can try to explain your way out
3. You can embrace it with sincerity and honesty

Option 1 and 2, you are trying to cover up a mistake. Option 3 you own up the mistake.

I think it is human nature to deny an embarrassing moment, especially to save faces. Most likely, we see that people will go for routes 1 and 2 when they realize they made a mistake. But we ought to think what a more sensible strategy (best respond) is for the situation.

Covering up a mistake could make us feel like we are off the hook — at least temporarily — but I…